Dakota Fanning Defends Her Rape Scene In "Hounddog"

The 14-year-old actress is unfazed by the controversy and wouldn't comment on calls for her mother to be jailed on child pornography charges because she allowed Dakota to appear in the scene without having a body double.

She said: "It's a movie and it's called acting. What drew me to the film was that my character shows people that you can overcome adversity in life and it doesn't define you. My character has so many other interests and talents that just because something terrible happened to her doesn't mean she can't have a great life."

"I wanted to do the film because I thought it might help one person that has happened to and help them overcome adversity in their lives."

Dakota - who can next be seen starring alongside Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson in "The Secret Life of Bees" - also said she remains a fan of Sue Monk Kidd's book, on which the film is based.

She added: "It is still one of the best books I have ever read. It really grabbed me. The scenes with Paul Bettany, who plays my abusive father, were very challenging and he is very scary in them but he is about the nicest guy you could ever meet in person."